Baby Gate Tips

This is a document Southern States Mastiff Rescue sends out to foster/adopters who take rescue dogs in. Maybe you can follow the steps outlined here to help you with the introduction/integration of this boy should you decide to bring him home. 

 

 

Introducing a New Dog into the Household

 

Everything is new and scary

 

Try to see things from the new dog’s point of view. Remember that, although you know what is going on, they do not. Rescue dogs are stressed and confused. They do not know that all will be OK or what is to come next.

For your current dog(s), try to see their side too. They may see their status as threatened by the arrival of a new dog. Though we want dogs to become instant best friends, this is often not the case. Even dogs that get along famously at the first will have moments of aggravation with each another. For this reason, a well-planned process of introduction assures you of the greatest chance for a peaceful household.

HOW LONG WILL THIS TAKE?  Some dogs will breeze through this process in days, for some, it may take weeks or even months. – PATIENCE is the key.

 

Giving your new dog the best chance at success.

 

Adding a new dog to the family is a big deal, even as a temporary foster.  A careful introduction period ensures success. Better to be overly cautious than to have a bad beginning you will have to repair.

 

1. NEUTRAL TERRITORY –If you do not know your new dog’s history or you are aware of any aggression issues from either the new dog or your own – DO NOT PROCEED with a meeting at this point and start at step 2.

 

*If both your dog and the new dog have a history of being friendly with other animals you may consider proceeding with an on-leash introduction away from your home in neutral territory. If all goes well you could consider skipping to step 6. If there is any posturing, definitely take things slowly and move to step 2.

 

2. GETTING THEIR BEARINGS – Allow the new dog its own space for at least a couple of days. This means away from the other dogs completely. Once they are relaxed in their new surroundings (wagging tail, soft eyes, responding to your voice, not panting or pacing) you can proceed to the next step.

• During this time, it is a great idea to switch some bedding with your pet. Get your pets scent on a towel or blanket and vice versa and put them item in each other’s resting area. This will give them a chance to get familiar with each other’s scents in a relaxed state.
• Pottying should be at separate times so they can smell each other’s scents.
• Do not allow fence interactions at this time. Fence fighting is common even for dogs that may not be aggressive under other circumstances.

 

3. A CHANCE TO OBSERVE – Allowing the dogs to see and observe one another without a face-to-face meeting will help them get to know one another without too much pressure.

 

• One of our volunteers is successful with early introductions using a crate or x-pen in her kitchen with a baby gate separating rooms. That way, her dogs can see the new dog and vice versa but they do not have physical interaction at this point.

·         I use baby gates at either end of a hall so that the dogs can see each other from a distance.

After a period of the dogs being comfortable observing one another, and showing relaxed body language, it is time to move to the next step.

4. WALKING  TOGETHER -  With the help of another person, leash walk the dogs together. Keep some distance and do not allow them to interact (sniffing, etc).

 

The point of this exercise is to perform an activity together with you in charge and to afford them another opportunity to observe one another. You may need to do this activity for several days and in some cases even longer before you feel they are relaxed enough to move to introductions.

5. BACK TO STEP ONE - After you have successfully moved through Steps 2, 3, and 4, you are ready for NEUTRAL TERRITORY. It is safest to set up the first physical interactions away from areas that are perceived as territory. *Remember this step is on leash.

                                 

6. SUPERVISED TIME TOGETHER - If you have had non-confrontational     interactions to this point, allowing the dogs to interact off leash while supervised is the next step.

1. This time should NOT include toys, treats, or food.

 

2. If you have multiple dogs and they start to play, separate them. This is an excitable state which can lead to a confrontation between dogs that do not have a good understanding of one another.

 

3. Keep the time limited so they do not become overwhelmed, ending a session on a happy note is the goal.

7. HAPPY TOGETHER – Separating the dogs whenever you are not able to supervise should continue for some time. This phase may last weeks or even months.

 

Things such as thunderstorms, visitors, new toys, etc., can change the dynamics of a household. Continue to separate the dogs when not supervised until you are confident they are comfortable enough with each other to not be upset by new stimulus.

 

CARDINAL RULES

Following these rules will only make the process of introduction easier regardless of whether your dogs are instant best friends or the process of getting to know each other is lengthy.

·         SEPARATE WHEN FEEDING (separate rooms or in crates)

·         BE THE BOSS - During this introduction period, it is NOT ok for the new dog or original dog(s) to snark, growl, posture, or stare each other down. Correct and re-direct. If you are experiencing this behavior, go back a step or two and allow a little more time.

·         WORK FOR THOSE TREATS – A good lifelong rule is to require something of the dogs before they get a reward (sit, down, wait, etc). Say the dog’s name before they are given a treat or toy. That way, when they are integrated, there is no confusion as to who is to get the treat.

* DO NOT give treats with dogs together during the introduction process.

·         OLD IS FIRST – The original dog to the household should continue to get preferred treatment. If the new dog sees you first giving the original dog(s) attention, treats, or food first, they will associate the other dog’s getting something desirable as a signal that they will be next to get something good. It will also help the original dog(s) not to think that the new dog threatens their way of life.

·         ONE-ON-ONE – Throughout this process and after, spend one-on-one time with your new dog teaching commands and developing a line of communication. It will be easier to manage your household if your dogs understand what you want of them. Training for reliable responses is one of your best management tools!

 

__________________
Jennifer Patterson
Crossroads Mastiffs
http://www.crossroadsmastiffs.com

“Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American GI. One died for your soul, the other died for your freedom.”

Well this week turned out OK even though I left all my coupons sitting on the kitchen counter today.  Did I mention my fuzzy Robitussin brain?

I spent $64.06 on all this which is a little over my $50 budget but $14 of that is baby formula which I don’t normally include in my grocery budget.  So basically I was right on track this week.

To see the breakdown click below!

Safeway $28.32
Diet Soda (4) .69 each
Diced Tomatoes $1
Enchilada Sauce $1.59
Chili Powder $1.99
Lucerne String Cheese $1.99
Safeway Wheat Bread $1.50
(2) packages bacon .99 on clearance (these go straight to the freezer anyway!)
Deli Fresh Ham .99- also on clearance
Beef $2.03
Pumpkin ice Cream on clearance for .99
2 cucumbers $1.58
Red Pepper .99
Gala Apples $1.47
Pears $1.03
Salad Mix $1.98
Gorgonzola Cheese $3.79

Target $21.82
2 pack baby formula on clearance $13.85
2 5lb Flour on clearance $1.34
Shredded Cheese $2.99
Sonoma Jack Pretzels/Cheese $1.59 (my lunch!)
2 Hefty Freezer Bags $1 each- used $1/2 coupon

CVS: $1.07
I did 2 transactions and I had $4.70 in ECB that were expiring.
Milk $2.59- used .30/1 Real CA milk coupon
Colgate Toothpaste $2.99- used $1/1 from RIB magazine
2 Hormel Chili at .97 each- used .55/2 coupon
and I got $2 in ECB back from the Colgate

Savemart: $6.85
I had a $3 catalina to use
Bread Machine Yeast $6.99 (!!!)
Sour Cream $1.39
10lb Potatoes .97
Roma Tomatoes .50

diapers.com: $6
I got the Plum Organic baby food for $6- I told you about it HERE
(We needed a baby gate so I looked around, found a good deal, got a price match on diapers.com and then added the baby food and got free shipping)

How did you guys do this week? Any great scores?

We have an Evenflo Top of Stair Gate. It’s a wooden gate with metal hardware. It swings. VERY secure.

I mounted the hinges to a 1x4 piece of oak stained to match the newel post on our stairwell then ziptied the 1x4 to the newel post. This worked well for years. Setup was approved by childcare agency for a home daycare. However, once the kids got bigger, and started shaking the gate, I noticed the zipties getting worn (took at least 3 years). I eventually broke down and put 1 screw in at the top and 1 at the bottom to replace the zipties. Unsing the industrial strength, large zipties it is very secure. Just keed an eye on the condition of the ties. The standard cheap wire zipties do not stand up to this use. Do not use them.

Today is Wednesday, April 8, 2009. These are predictions of what Obama supporters, if there are any remaining, will say after Obama fails:“The Republicans, especially Bush, messed things up so much it needed a superhuman effort to make things right. It probably needed more than 8 years by Obama to fix it”“The Republicans and the traitorous moderate Democrats (probably closet Republicans themselves) did their very best to obstruct Obama’s policies.”“The Democrats in the House of Representatives and the Senate did not rally around him like they should have.”“The Congress cared more about their own power than about supporting Obama.”“Obama had traitors working with him.”“People demanded too much out of him.”“God is punishing the nation for not backing Obama.”“The ‘Birthers” wanted to bring him down. They should have left the birth certificate issue alone. Where Obama was born was nobody’s business. They act like its a Constitutional issue or something.”“Wall Street wanted to bring him down.”“Rogue elements of the Antiwar movement worked against him when they should have kept their mouths shut about Obama continuing Bush’s policies. And they should have kept it a secret that Obama was expanding the war in Afghanistan. They were only supposed to protest Bush only!”“Those right-wing blogs and right-wingnut idiot writers on the internet confused clear-thinking people and got them brainwashed.”“You all didn’t give him a chance.”“Racist white Americans (every white person who did not vote for Obama) did not want to unify this country.”“The Media, like Chris Matthews, only pretended to love him. Then they showed their true colors.”“Sellout black conservatives and sellout anti-Obama black liberals conspired together.”“Anti-Obama YouTube viral videos passed around destroyed the Presidency.”“The Daily Kos, The Huffington Post, etc. did not do their jobs correctly to set the record straight.”“Those evil right-wing talk show hosts brought him down. We told you they should have been silenced!”“Those ‘Tea Party’ people should have been put in prison for treason and sedition.”“You all didn’t give him a chance.”“MoveOn.org, ACORN, and Organizing for America did a lousy job in supporting our President. No excuses!”“The fascist Pro-Life Movement did everything they could to undermine our President.”“They all worked to make sure that the first black president failed.”“Those PUMA Hillary Clinton Democrats brought him down.”“He had bad advisors.”“They set him up.” (Who are “they”?)“You all didn’t give him a chance.”“You all resisted the will of God by resisting Obama.”“Bush set him up to fail.”“He was a public servant, not a perfect servant.”“He is only human. He had good intentions.”“You cannot expect one man to have all the answers.”“The weight of the world was on his shoulders. It was just too much for him. He is a good man. He really tried.”“He was misunderstood.”“He is an imposter! That was not the real Obama. It was a Republican Obama clone who was paid off to fail. The real Obama was kidnapped! He never had a chance!”I predict “The Honorable Brother X” will say:”IT’S BUSH’S FAULT OBAMA FAILED!”

Tips for Enhancing Child Safety at the Window From American Blinds, Wallpaper and More

 

When it comes to increasing child safety in the home, the window is a fixture that should not be forgotten.  American Blinds, Wallpaper and More offers tips for enhancing child safety at the window:

 

•·          Don’t forget window covering cords can be hazardous.

•·          Use window guards on all windows above the first floor.  Screens aren’t strong enough to stop a fall; they are meant to keep insects out, not to keep children in. 

 

•·          If it’s necessary to keep windows open for ventilation, install locks that limit the size of the opening.

 

•·          For sliding glass doors, install safety glass that won’t shatter.  Additionally, apply bright stickers at a child’s eye level (and also adult eye level) to alert him or her to the presence of glass. 

 

•·          Be sure to keep all furniture and cribs away from windows.

Put safety first in your home during Window Covering Safety Month with Cordless Blinds from American Blinds, Wallpaper and More. One of the most recent safety innovations is the cordless lifting system that allows shades or blinds to be raised and lowered with the touch of a finger.  Cellular shades eliminate pull cords, enhancing child & pet safety and creating a clean look.  Colorful and durable, cellular shades are a great choice for a child’s room.  They not only help block the sun’s harmful UV rays, they feature a unique honeycomb construction that “traps” air for greater energy efficiency, helping to reduce energy bills during the upcoming winter months.  The shades also softly diffuse incoming natural light to cut the glare and heat on warm days.

 

“We’re happy to partner with the Window Covering Safety Council and our product vendors to inform consumers about these very important safety tips” said Rick Isenberg, Chief Marketing Officer of American Blinds, Wallpaper and More.  “As parents, we tend to focus on child-safe things like car seats and outlets, and may forget about dangling cords.  We’ve put extensive information in our Resource Center on Child Safety, including the Window Covering Safety Council’s SuperBaby videos, which will help parents focus on safety and smile at the same time.”

 

Join Window Covering Safety Month and keep your children safe and warm with cordless blinds from American Blinds, Wallpaper and More. To purchase cordless window blinds or shades, visit www.americanblinds.com/cordless.

ABOUT AMERICAN BLINDS, WALLPAPER AND MORE:
American Blinds, Wallpaper and More is the largest online retailer of brand name custom window treatments and wall coverings at savings from 25% – 85% off most retail store and home center prices. They carry all brand name blinds and wallpaper, including Hunter Douglas®, Bali®, Levolor®, Kirsch®, Waverly® and American Blinds®, their most popular brand. The company also sells home decorating products including curtains, draperies, custom framed wall art, and area rugs. Their website, www.americanblinds.com can search for over 500,000 wallpaper, border and fabric patterns by color, style and other keywords. Most merchandise is shipped via free ground delivery and is covered by a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee and a Lowest Price Guarantee. For more than fifty years American Blinds, Wallpaper and More has provided high quality products to over 6 million customers nationwide.

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After reading reviews we were in two minds whether or not to worry about this – I’m so glad we did! It worked exactly as we hoped would.br / br / We have just returned from a visit to Britain with his 16-month old son and this worked perfectly for us. J is the point where he will make little attention to wiggle right out of my arms, if you do not want to sit on my lap so we were waiting to take our ‘child within’ an internal flight followed by a transatlantic flight with a vehicle thatunits at each end. br / br / Some ‘more points: br / br / 1) J was traveling as a child on the lap, so we do not want to tow his car seat with us just for the chance to even get off a home – the harness CARES slipped easily into our hand luggage. (As has happened we talked to the assistant to check-in and on both routes is unable to get a row of 4 seats all to ourselves – for those not already doing so, it is always worth a long talk about where you are trying to place bothcheck-in at the gate and even once you are seated, if the plane is obviously not full!). br / br / 2) The wiring mounted easily and securely over the seat for education. The passengers behind us were not even bother took a few seconds to slip over the chair and under their table.br / br / 3) J We are tied in without him even flinching – I think that thought was only be tied to how he would be in his seat and was very happy to stand still. br/ Br / 4) It took only a minute or so to make sure the harness is properly adjusted and J seemed very comfortable and content in it. On long flights has happily remained in all the way through taxiing and take-off and drink and meal service. However, because each time we had 2 empty seats between me and my husband when he was ‘bed / nap time’ we lay J among us in his long sleep sack (so I could sit on one end of it for a more security!) and with the belt wrapped around normalaround its center. He was very glad to be back in the saddle once again and had to land and taxiing.br / br / 5) J remained in harness for the whole of the last flight from Philadelphia to Detroit and was lower than in If he was made to sit on his lap. We did pass some heavy turbulence and I was very happy to have him so firmly linked in. Has just moved.br / br / br / No negative as such, but some points of caution … br / br / 1) Notwithstanding the height and weight declaredChildren range should be at least 2 years old to use this item. Since J is tall and heavy for her age we were happy to use it, and fortunately so were the North West and the United States Airways.br / br / 2) Check with your airline to make sure that you will use , esp. If you travel outside the United States. In our experience with it in this one trip, North-West have been totally fine with it, U.S. Airways were beautiful but we recall that should have been 2, even if they were happy for us to do what wepreferred (the alternative is to hold the baby in her lap without a seat belt at all!), Lufthansa did not allow us to use it during taxiing, takeoff and landing (they insisted I hold him and use an extra lap belt, instead), but they were comfortable with its use during flight.br / br / 3) Like any car seat or restraint, do not expect your child will be comfortable enough to sleep, while it … more a matter of sitting upright than the wiring itself. That said, if they sleep quite well in the carwhen I do not see why not with this.br / br / 4) Even when properly installed regulators Large / buckle on the front vertical straps may be uncomfortable for a child depending on how the harness fits them. I preempted this by taking the cozy covers off our stroller straps (JJ Cole Velcro fastening ones) and put them on buckles. Jack was well and may even have been good without them, but I felt that was good around the shoulder / / neck area to get the chin cushiness.br extra / br/ 5) We had to hitch J a couple of times in his place, but this was nothing serious and certainly not worse than if it were just using the lap belt. br / br / All I recommend this product to all those flying with young children.
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“CARES Child Aviation Restraint System Low price” Feature

• Safety harness designed specifically for aviation travel
• Compact – fits into 6″ stuff sack – weighs just 1 pound
• Easy to install takes less than 1 minute
• Adjusts to fit almost every size airplane seat
• Designed for children 1 year and older weighing 22-44 pounds and up to 40″ tall

“CARES Child Aviation Restraint System Discount” Overview

CARES Kids Fly Safe aviation restraint is designed specifically for aviation use for children age 1 and older who weigh between 22 and 44 pounds. These youngsters are old enough to be in their own seats, but are too small for the seat belt alone to protect them. Their bodies cannot withstand the jolts that are common in routine transportation, much less emergency situations, and they flail forward or slide beneath the seat belt if they are not held securely in place.

Each year more and more young children fly. But until CARES Kids Fly Safe aviation restraint came along, what was missing was a convenient, hassle-free way to keep young flyers safe. Here’s what makes CARES such an invaluable travel solution:

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CARES Kids Fly Safe aviation restraint is an elegantly designed belt-and-buckle device that works in conjunction with the regular airplane seat belt and provides young travelers the same level of safety as a car seat.

CARES Kids Fly Safe aviation restraint weighs just one pound and fits into a 6″ stuff sack! It is easily portable, simple to install, adjustable to nearly every size airplane seat, and usable on any seat in the airplane, except in the emergency exit rows.

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INCLUDES: Restraint, instruction card, instruction video on DVD, and travel bag.

Customer Reviews Buy shopping

So easy – Alicia D. Volkheimer – Mebane, NC United States
I bought this harness for my 3 years of use on the plane. Our friends at our destination was a parking space we could use there, so we do not need to bring ours. The wiring was very easy to install and use, and my daughter seemed comfortable in it. The flight attendant said, “Oh, you have the seatbelt imagination!” my daughter, who seemed so. I think even if we have to travel with a car seat for the future, I gate check the seat and use the cabling on plane.br / br / I shoppedaround the sling and the best price I found was on Amazon with free shipping. Even with a discount of 20% to a local dealer, would be more tax.

So much easier than lugging the car seat! – Sara – WI USA
It is rare that a product is perfect, and the CARES harness is definitely a couple of points that could be improved. However, the ease of use compared to a car seat is worth any defects could have.br / br / The pros: br /-You do not have to lug your car seat through the airport, come off by something like the Go Go Travelmate Car Seat Toddler or travel accessories, in order to get through security, etc.br / – Installing a car seat on an airplane puts the child in a series of kicksthe seat in front of you, the CARES harness (most) prevented the foot of my son to reach the seat in front him.br / Easy to install-seat plane. Slip on your back, run the belt with the straps, and strap your child inside, I was able to do this in less than two minutes, flying alone with a toddler.br / br / The cons: br / — As other reviewers described, the position chest clip is not perfect. If you are not careful installation finishes alignment with the neck. I was able to obtainthe chest clip in a better position, however.br / red-strap is not flush with the curved seat backs.br / – Lack of leg, the child can slouch, messing with the positioning of the harness and putting them in a series of kicking the seat in front of them.br / br / All in all, this product is * overpriced for what is, but since has gone through the approval process for the FAA, it’s worth not having to travel with a car seat. Improvements could be made,however.

For the most part, it’s working – A. Clodfelter – North Carolina
I purchased this product in order not to bring a car seat with us on the plane. For the most part, you do the work. The only problem is that my son (3.5 years) could not get comfortable when she was falling asleep (and I was really waiting for this moment so that we can all get a break). Without support, his head kept falling making him wake up. I ended up stuffing his blanket behind his head just to give some sort of padding, but it was still difficult to manage. In general, it is a good voice,particularly on a short flight or an older child who can feed themselves.

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